Does this offend you? The pregnant Duchess of Sussex, rubbing her belly, has drawn flak on social media.Tristan Fewings/BFC / Getty Images

The duchess looked stunning as always, wearing a sleek, one-shoulder black velvet Givenchy gown. But it wasn’t what she was wearing that has been the subject of admonishment from some on social media, but the fact that Meghan cradled her baby bump throughout the night.

The Duchess of Sussex and her husband, Prince Harry, are expecting their first child next spring.

After the couple shared the news publicly, Meghan’s growing belly has been figuring more prominently during her recent public appearances.

Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, during a walk while visiting Australia in October.AP

But even in October when she and the prince were visiting Australia, she has been photographed placing her hands gently beneath her then-just emerging bump.

Getty Images

But some just don't think the look is appropriate.

“#Meghan Markle holding on to that bump like someone’s about to snatch it,” wrote one Twitter user in response to images of the duchess at the awards show.

When will Meghan "Duchess of Sussex", stop constantly cradling her bump! Like the whole bloody world doesn't know shes pregnant & it's not like she doesnt get enough attention she's craves. "I'm here to give an award but il make sure the attention is on me not the winner" #BFA

It’s somewhat hard for pregnant women to avoid their growing bellies, and rubbing their stomach often helps them bond with their baby. Studies show it helps the child, too.

Research that tracked fetus response found that when mothers rubbed their bellies, babies had more arm, head, and mouth movements than when the women did nothing or when they simply spoke to their child.

Meghan isn’t the first celebrity catching grief for showing pride in her baby bump. Even her sister-in-law, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, has been photographed giving her belly a rub during any one of her three pregnancies.

Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, has been known to publicly caress her belly while pregnant. She has since had three children.Getty Images

Khloe Kardashian also caught the ire of some social media users for doing the same thing but the reality star quickly clapped back at the time.

She told her haters she planned to “touch my bump and love my bump as often I choose.”

People are very opinionated about my bump. I choose to cradle my bump because it’s MINE. I’ve waited for this VERY short moment for YEARS. I have only months to enjoy this phase in my life, so I will touch my bump and love my bump as often as I choose. Mommy loves you baby! ️

She also noted she waited years to have a child and planned to enjoy every single moment of her “very short” pregnancy.

But Meghan also had her share of defenders wondering what the fuss was about.

Cradling a baby bump is a natural gesture with women. They can choose to touch, love and cradle. It's also known to ease pressure/pain. The irony between supporting women and tearing them down ... #MeghanMarkle

In the supposed era of Body Positivity, there seems to be people who have an issue with Meghan cradling her baby bump. All of the people criticizing Meghan Markle for cradling her bump need to get a LIFE! It’s her body, it is her baby, and she can cradle it as much as she wants. pic.twitter.com/CkypWA31nn

"In the supposed era of Body Positivity, there seems to be people who have an issue with Meghan cradling her baby bump," one person said on Twitter. "All of the people criticizing Meghan Markle for cradling her bump need to get a LIFE! It’s her body, it is her baby, and she can cradle it as much as she wants."